Clamp



UNITED STATES ELLERY A. TEETER, OF KETCHIKAIN', TERRITORY OF ALASKA.

CLAMP.

- Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application filed. August 6, 1919. Serial No. 315,780.

To allwhom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ELLERY A. TEETER, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Ketchikan, South East, Territory of Alaska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in clamps.

ne object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved clamp which is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and strong and durable in use.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved clamp wherein the stationary jaw is provided with additional gripping means for engagement with the work to prevent rocking movement of the clamp while securing the same in position or when removing the clamp.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved spring holding clamp for a trap whereby the spring is held in compressed position without the cramping position of the hand of the operator which is necessary with similar devices heretofore wherein pivoted levers were provided and which it was necessary to hold with the hand to maintain the spring in compressed position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spring engaging member which will not rock when the cam lever is pulled to con; tact the spring, no matter whether the device is applied to one side of the spring or to the other.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character in which the cam lever is reversible so that the device may be used by right-handed or left-handed persons, and in either case the handle of the cam lever will extend away from the jaws of the trap.

Other objects and advantages will be ap parent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an enlarged perspective view of the clamp.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken centrally through the clamp, on the line 22 of Fig. l, but showing the clamp in engagement with a piece of work.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, the body of theclamp is preferably L-shaped and includes the vertical leg 10 and the horizontal leg 11 which latter is secured to the lower end of the former. The upper end of the leglO is formed with a cir- Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

cular boss 12 having a central opening there- 7 through for the reception of the pivot pin 13. The vertical leg tapers toward its upper end and carried by the inner broad face of said leg, and having their bases spaced above the horizontal leg, are the two triangular lugs 14. The lugs 14, in cooperation with the leg 11, serve to hold the device in proper position on the lower portion of the spring, whereby, when the cam lever is rocked, the device will maintain its rigid position with respect to the spring. Also, when the cam lever is reversed on the shaft 13, as in adapting the device for use by a left-handed person, one of the lugs 14: will serve to prevent rocking of the support on the spring. It will be noted that when the cam 15 is first engaged with the upper leg of the spring, and downward pressure exerted on the lever 16, the point of contact of the cam with the spring will be at such a point that when the lever is rocked, the tendency would be for the spring engaging member, including the portions 10 and 11, to rock in the direction toward the bight of the spring. Thus one of the lugs is operative at a time, that is one of them when the device is arranged for use by a right-handed person, and one for use when the device is adjusted for use by a left-handed person. A cam disk 15 is mounted for rotation on the pivot pin 13, and is provided with a handle lever 16, by means of which it is capable of being moved on its pivot to advance toward and away from the work which is disposed on the horizontal leg 11. The outer face of the vertical leg is formed with a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib 17.

While the clamp is adaptable for various uses, the one particularly for which the clamp is designed is for facilitating the setting of animal traps, such as beaver and otter traps.

lWhen the clamp is used for setting a trap the lower portion of the spring of the trap is placed on the horizontal leg 11 beneath the lugs 14 and the upper portion of the spring disposed beneath the cam disk 15. Upon rotating the cam by means of the lever said cam will cause the upper portion of the spring to be depressed with the result that the jaws of the trap will fall into open position and remain loosely in such position until the trappercancover the trap with litter, or place the trap in the desired position adjacent the lair of the animal to be caught. When the lever is thrown over to compress the spring it will pass the dead center and thus obviate any danger ofthe spring closing the trap on the hands or fingers of the trapper.

What is claimed is:

A clamp comprising an L-shaped plate including a longer vertical leg and a shorter horizontal leg, the vertical leg having an apertnred boss projecting laterally from its upper end and supporting a horizontal pivot pin, a vertical cam disk mounted for rotation on said pin and being reversible for right and left-handed users and having a handle adapted to be moved at all times in a direction away from the jaws of the trap when operated, and a pair of horizontally spaced lugs on one face of the vertical leg above the horizontal leg, each of the lugs being arranged to cooperate with the horizontal leg to prevent rocking of the clamp on the spring when the cam lever is operated.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELLERY A. TEETER.

Witnesses:

A. DARLINGTON, F. J. FURNIVALL. 

